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G. P. MELICK. INGANDBSOENT ELEGTRIG LAMP.

No. 480,954. Patented Aug. 16, 1892.

'I'Nl NDIIIIS PETERS co. mum-ma, wAsumown n c \l v I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE F. MELIOK, OF METUCHEN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE EDISON GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY,-OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

INCANDESCENT ELECTRIC LAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 480,954, dated August 16, 1892.

Application filed March 4, 1892. Serial No. 423,700- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. MELIOK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Metuchen, county of Middlesex, and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Night-Lamps, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to incandescent electric lamps adapted to give lights of diiferent candle-power, according as one or more of its carbons or filaments are in circuit; and my invention consists in an improved arrangement of said carbons and improved means for changing the circuit con- I 5 nections of the lamp, one of the main objects of the improvement being to provide an arrangement by which the changes can be effected without sparking and by simple means forming a part of the lamp itself. Hereto- 2o fore it has been proposed to provide several filaments in a lamp and to provide switches for breaking the circuit through one or more of said filaments and for connecting the fila-' ments in series or in multiple arc. Such devices are shown, for example, in patent to Edison, No. 263,135. carbons or filaments in series, the two ends of the connected filaments being permanently connected to the lamp-terminals, and to pro- 0 vide a switch on the base of the lamp which is adapted to short-circuit one of the filaments without breaking its circuit, thus enabling me to employ a switch without danger of injury by sparking and one that will not 3 5 occupy much space.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows an Edison lamp with my improvement applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a detail view of one form of switch which may be employed.

Fig. 3 shows a slightly-different form of lamp and switch. Fig. t shows the invention applied to a lamp adapted for use in a Thomson-Houston socket. Figs. 5 and 6 show other forms of short-circuiting switches.

Referring first to Fig. 1, 1 2 are filaments supported side by side and at a suitable distance apart within the glass globe. One limb of the filament 1 is permanently connected to the metal ring or sleeve 3 of the lamp, and one limb of the filament 2 is similarly connected to the central plug or contact 4, the

I propose to place both' other two limbs of the filaments being united and connected to the central conductor 5, which leads to an insulated contact 6, projecting through the metal sleeve 3. 7 is a sliding plate adapted when in one position to bear on the contact 6 and sleeve 3, thus metallically connecting them, and adapted when in another position to be insulated from said contact, thereby breaking the electrical connection between the sleeve and contact.

By tracing the circuit when the switch is in the position shown in Fig. 2 it will be found to be as follows: from the sleeve 3 to cont-act 6, through the switch-plate 7 to wire 5, to] filament 2, to terminal 4 thus short-circuiting the filament 1 and reducing the light given by the lamp from its full candle-power to approximately one-half its candle'power.

1 preferably frost the globes of the lamps, so that the fact that one of the filaments is idle will not be apparent to a casual observer. To prevent danger of the filaments coming together at the top, a short glass tube 8 is sealed in at the top and projects down between the filaments.

In Fig. 3, instead of a sliding switch, is shown one composed of a central screw 9, having a head 10 permanently fixed thereon to prevent accidental removal of the nut 11, which is movable on the screw, said screw being insulated from the metal sleeve 12, which is integral with the sleeve 3 or is soldered thereto.

In this lamp the common or central conductor 5 is connected to the screw, and it will be seen that when the nut is screwed down the screw and sleeve will be connected, thus shortcircuiting one of the filaments, (in this case filament 2,) with the result already indicated.

In this lamp the two filaments are shown supo ported at the top by a wire 13, sealed into the tip of the lamp and having at its lower end a glass bead 1 1, from which project fine wires 15, separated from each other at 16 and having eyes or loops at their outer ends, through 5 which the filaments pass.

It may sometimes be desirable to apply the improvement to lamps used in connection with Thomson-Houston sockets; but in such lamps there is no sleeve on the base of the loo lamp connected with an end of a filament, as above described. A sleeve 17 may therefore ing the rod with the sleeve.

be provided, havinga tapering end 18, adapted to surround the base of the lamp and to fit into a socket, as indicated in Fig. 4. This sleeve will be provided with a switch, such as shown in Fig. 4 or such as shown in some of the other figures or an equivalent switch. The form shown in said Fig. 4 consists of a screw 19, on which is a nut 20, electrically connected with the screw.

21 is ametal sleeve surrounding the screw, but insulated from it, and also insulated from the collar 22, which projects from the sleeve 18. The central conductor 5, extending from the united ends of the filaments, will be connected to the central screw, and the sleeve 21 will be connected by wire 23 with the central terminal 24 of the lamp.

The sleeve 17 may be secured to the base of the lamp,if desired, by plaster-of-paris, as indicated at 25. The wires extending to the screw and to the sleeve 21 are for convenience shown extending directly through the base of the lamp at the side; but this might not ordinarily be the most advisable manner of making the connections. It is, however, shown in this way for convenience. Instead of employing a central screw, a smooth rod 26, having a head 27, may be used. On the rod is an insulating-head 28, pressed againstthe metal sleeve 29 by a spring 30. Across the face of this insulating-head is a narrow metal strip 31, adapted when in the position shown to bear on the two extending ears 32, projecting from the sleeve 29, thus connect- WVhen the head 28 is turned ninety degrees, this connection will be broken, thus breaking the short circuit around one of the filaments.

In Fig. 6 the general construction is the same as that just described; but instead of the sleeve 29 the wire 23 extends through the insulating material around the rod 26 and terminates in a contact 33, which is in such position that the insulating-strip 31 can be moved onto or off from it to make or break the short circuit.

It will be seen that each of these forms of switch occupies very little space on the ring or sleeve of the lamp and that each is adapted to perform the function desired What I claim is- 1. An incandescent lamp having several filaments connected in series, the two ends of the connected filaments being permanently connected to the lamp-terminals, and a shortcircuiting switch for one of said filaments, substantially as described.

2. An incandescent lamp having several filaments connected in series and a shortcircuiting switch mounted on a metal sleeve on the base of the lamp, substantially as described.

3. An incandescent lamp having several filaments connected in the same circuit, one of said filaments being connected to a'metal sleeve on the base of the lamp, the opposite terminal being connected to an insulated contact, and a switch device adapted to connect said contact with the sleeve, thereby shortcircuiting said filament, substantially as described.

4. An incandescent lamp having two filaments in series, one end of one filament being connected to a metal sleeve on the base of the lamp, forming one lamp terminal, one end of the other filament being connected to a lamp-terminal or contact, the other two limbs of the filaments being connected to an insulated contact, and a switch device adapted to connect said contact with one of the lamp-terminals, substantially as described.

This specification signed and witnessed this 2d day of March, 1892.

GEORGE F. MELIOK. Witnesses:

A. N. RANDOPH, JNo. G. PHILLIPS. 

